Russia's minister of culture has claimed that one of his country's most famous poets invented rap music and that the genre may become a Russian form of art in the future.

Vladimir Mayakovsky was an early 20th-century artist who became famous for his futurist style, satirical attacks on the bourgeoisie and eager support for the Bolshevik Revolution that swept his country in 1917. He grew critical of communist rule under Joseph Stalin and later took his own life in 1930 at the young age of 36, but his deeply influential works have lived on in Russian society.

Addressing the Valdai Discussion Club on Tuesday, Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky said that he grew frustrated with his son's fascination with rap and, after studying it himself, proclaimed that "Mayakovsky was the first rapper," according to the Interfax news agency.

Damon Albarn is apparently no fan of Kanye West. In a new interview with the French publication L’obs, the Gorillaz and Blur leader embarks on a bit of a tirade about Kanye, specifically his “abusive” creative relationship with Paul McCartney.

Although Albarn’s comments are a little jumbled after being translated from English to French and back, the tone and substance of the exchange are clear. After the interviewer brings up Kanye’s lengthy process of gathering samples for Pusha-T’s Daytona, Albarn responds, “I do not sample, I create music.” He then begins a tangent about Kanye’s relationship to McCartney: “Do not get me started on Kanye West … Kanye West trapped Paul McCartney.”

Hip-hop has always been a culture that thrives off of young, controversial figures, but with the information that’s already available on the aforementioned artists, it’s impossible for listeners to support them in good conscience. In order to properly reckon with our roles in their success, we really need to stop entertaining and listening to them.

During an intimate dinner among journalists and Bennett's family and friends powered by Footaction on Thursday night at New York City's VYNL, Billboard spoke one-on-one with Bennett about his latest studio effort, owning his confidence on wax, coming out on Twitter earlier this year and why critics can quit referring to him as Chance the Rapper's little brother.